<p>I picked up a 5 quart Rival Crock Pot at CVS. It’s on sale for 19.99 and CVS is giving a 10.00 extra bucks reward, so total cost was 9.99. Now to figure out how to use it!</p>
<p>second spring - put cheap chunk of meat into crockpot, cover with liquids (I use bbq sauce, tomato sauce, beef broth, stuff like that). Then sit back and enjoy the smell for 8 hours. I turn mine up to high for the first few hours to get it going.</p>
<p>I can get 8 servings of pulled pork or beef for about $6 worth of meat and toppings :-)</p>
<p>second spring – we should probably start a separate post for this, but here’s one of my favorite, cheap, easy, come home to find dinner made for me recipes (and it requires no browning of the meat before you put it in the crock pot):</p>
<p>[Shredded</a> French Dip - Allrecipes](<a href=“http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Shredded-French-Dip/Detail.aspx]Shredded”>http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Shredded-French-Dip/Detail.aspx)</p>
<p>I went to Costco & saw the iPod I bought my earlier for a $10 instant discount as well as $10 off down pillows & $60 less for the Magellan 1412 roadmate I purchased recently. The nice folks in the exchange/return department re-credited me with $80! I also ended up buying a whole lot of stuff, but I thought that was very nice & have since purchased several times that amount there (over the past 24 hours). Got a down pillow for $23 at Costco.</p>
<p>I purchased a pair of wallets at Macy’s–suggested retail price $28 for under $12 apiece. I also purchased 2 PacSun reversible hoodies for D & a friend or my goddaughter–marked $60, on sale for $28 apiece plus I got a $25 card – will bet $25 off a purchase of $50 during a window in December. Also purchased “My Fair Lady” DVD for $7 – maybe less at Costco. Got an adorable sweatshirt/jacket, chenille scarf & 2 mini umbrellas for about $36.</p>
<p>Gotta brag somewhere! To Grandmother’s house we went for T-Day. Got gas in NJ,MD,NJ so rock bottom prices. Only spent toll and gas money. Preordered groceries that were delivered to MIL the day before on her dime; I started the meal as soon as we arrived Thanksgiving morning. Lived on the groceries purchased and spent NO money all weekend. No outlet shops, no deals, no shopping. MIL went nuts, and broke down, ended up insisting on buying more groceries, taking H and kids out for some meals and a movie. She was shocked at how much SHE spent. Sons bought 50 cent books at a little cafe used book store even picking up some of my favorites. </p>
<p>I’d bought a bunch of quilts last month at 20% off the already low price of $25 at the Christmas tree shop. Brought them with me along with some cheap tan flat sheets I’d bought. My boys sleep in a big ugly room in the old house that has horrible old, dirty, tattered, pink printed curtains. I put up the sheets on two of the windows and used a set of flat sheets that were not an exact match but good enough as the third window was on a different wall, and voila, fresh curtain in a nice neutral color. The beds were all covered with a mismatch of old blankets, spreads, comforters all that have seen better days, some in the condition of the curtains, though I washed all thoroughly. What a transformation when I threw the three identical full sized quilts on top of the old comforters . The matching shams topped off the look. So now there are three matched , colorful beds with neutral curtains in the room. I found an old tan rug that I put down and the room actually looks good! Instant makeover for less than $100.</p>
<p>^ I have always made comforter covers (duvets) out of flat sheets, using some semimatching flat sheet from another set for the bottom. That way you always have a matching cover on bed. We do not use flat sheets otherwise.</p>
<p>Another cost cutting that I discovered just yesterday - if you color your hair (I have to) and your hair is short, you can mix only half and store the other half for later. It could be stored only if it is not mixed, they warn about not storing mixture.</p>
<p>sueinphilly and blackeyesusan-Thanks for the crock pot recipes. I look forward to trying them when we finish the turkey leftovers. I like the idea of starting another thread, and so I will.</p>
<p>Amazon has been mentioned before for beauty products, stocking stuffers,etc. Free shipping on alot of items. They are having very good deals on magazines right now(you need to click on “magazine subscriptions”). Lots of instant $5 off, $10 off,etc. on many magazines. Some magazines end up being only 3 or 5 dollars a year when the discounts are applied.</p>
<p>4 pomegranates for $1 !!!</p>
<p>Went shopping at Nordstrom Rack for my Youngest fashionista and found a Juicy Couture puffy coat for $169, originally over $400! It is fashionable, will cover her rear and is very warm! Yea! She needed a coat to replace her letter jacket for next year.</p>
<p>I did some cyber Moday shopping yesterday…used a $10 gift card from LL Bean , talked the rep into free shipping. I also found a pair of boots from North Face that no one but EMS seemd to be willing to discount , ceratinly not NF or Dick’s Sporting Goods ( that sent me a 25% off coupon for shopping yesterday ) the only problem wih the Dick’s coupon was the multiple paragraph exclusions for the sale…by the time I scanned it, I figured it worked for nothing more than socks and no name brands…will remove myself from their email list</p>
<p>Bought 36 issues of Maximum PC for under $14! (Normal low price is $12/year.) I am keeping my fingers crossed that the issues actually get delivered because the reports have been hit & miss on this company. Hubby was pleased.</p>
<p>Also too my mom to Walmart & bought dad an allergy encasing for his new pillow as well as a pillow cover. The total for the pair was about $10 & it should protect the down pillow I just gave him – that was $10 off at Costco!</p>
<p>Ohhh…I just bought D1 a black Burberry knee length winter coat originally over $600 for $149 at Nordstrom Rack!!! She wanted one for when she graduates next year but the sale was so great I bought it this year! Hooray!!!</p>
<p>I bought a blue and white sapphire ring Wednesday at Carson Pirie Scott at 50% off the full retail price of $760 but kept worrying that I still might have paid too much since I don’t really know jewelry that well. So this morning I went to Macy’s and found virtually the exact same ring for 60% off plus another 25%, e.g. 70% off full retail. The only <catch> was no returns. But I already knew I loved the ring. </catch></p>
<p>Bought from Macy’s, returned to Carson’s, saved $160! Broke my pledge to never shop Macy’s after they changed the Marshall Field name (and the State Street windows this year are boring IMHO).</p>
<p>Anyway, there was a ton of jewelry at that kind of savings - not sure how long the sale lasts though.</p>
<p>Got a Magellan 1412 GPS…regular price $299…reduced to $249…instant coupon for $100. Cost…$149. Gift for DS.</p>
<p>Shopped the 2 day sale at Sears Land End. Got what I was looking for at 50% off.</p>
<p>Got a coupon for a $50 off an item we just bought form Costco. The item goes back to Costco tonight and will be re-acquired with the discount.</p>
<p>Did we suddenly turned into a nation of discount shoppers? H was so disappointed when he had to get some lumber form HD and it was not on sale!</p>
<p>This thread just lets you KNOW how high the mark up on merchandise is…these merchants are still making a mighty profit even with the discounts.</p>
<p>I don’t know about making a mighty profit, but at least moving merchandise and getting by…sometimes markups are rather small, but overhead never goes down.
I think a lot of reailers are struggling to stay afloat, large and small
All these incredible markdowns at Nordstom’s are making me wonder how solid they are ?
Don’t have one anyone near us :(</p>
<p>It’s not Nordstrom’s. It’s Nordstrom’s Rack. And I want that coat!!</p>